Pain
by xfilesguy123
Summary: Zack is put in the hospital after Drew and his gang nearly beat him to death. What follows is a journey of physical and emotional pain. Rated T for violence and maybe language. Written by xfilesguy123 and Crimson Haze.
1. Chapter 1 Beat Down on Zack

I'm writing this story with Crimson Haze. We both kind of wrote this chapter. Hope you all enjoy it. Please review. Reviews are nice.

Chapter 1 Beat Down on Zack

Zack Martin slung his backpack over his shoulder as he headed towards the front of the school. The hall was deserted and most teachers were on the other side of the school, getting ready to go home. Zack turned a corner and ran right into Drew and his gang. Drew blocked Zack's path.

"Get out of my way," said Zack. Drew pushed Zack against some lockers.

Zack winced in pain.

"You got me detention for the next three months," said Drew.

"You should stop picking on my brother then," said Zack.

Drew punched Zack in the stomach as hard as he could. Zack gagged and doubled over in pain. Drew kicked him in the side. Zack fell to the floor, clutching his stomach and moaning in pain.

"It's payback time, loser," said Drew. He and two of his cronies started kicking Zack. Zack attempted to defend himself by blocking their kicks and punches. He tried to cry for help, but all that came out of his mouth were strained grunts. He spit out blood. Drew and his pals stopped after about a minute. Zack was whimpering softly. He had curled up into a ball. Drew grabbed him by the hair and pulled him to his knees. He then punched Zack right in the face. The punch was so hard it broke Zack's nose, sending blood everywhere. Zack yelped and fell back to the ground. Blood was gushing from his nose. Drew's gang started laughing. They had been waiting for this for a long time. Drew kicked Zack in the mouth. Zack heard a crack and yelped, realizing that Drew knocked out his teeth. His lips were trembling. One of Drew's cronies opened his locker, which was nearby. Drew pulled Zack to his feet. He swayed, so Drew had to hold him up as he shoved his arm into the frame of the locker and slammed it shut. There was a sickening snap as Zack's arm broke. Zack felt dizzy when he looked at his arm. Bone was sticking out of his skin.

"I'm going to make sure you spend the next several months in the

hospital," said Drew. Drew shoved Zack's head against the locker frame. Then he slammed the door against Zack's head. Zack's left ear was nearly crushed by the blow. Zack made another attempt to scream, but this time all that came out was a ragged gasp. Drew and his gang left Zack lying helplessly in the hall. Zack was crying now. He could hear Drew and his gang laughing as they walked away. Tears slid down Zack's cheeks, mixing with the blood that was pouring down his chin.

"Help," he said, in a choked whisper. His mouth was still bleeding.

"Cody," said Zack weakly, knowing he couldn't hear him. He couldn't move. His ear was ringing. Zack felt his eyelids growing heavy.

"Zack," came a voice down the hall. It was Cody. Zack tried to speak.

But his lips refused to work. They were no doubt busted up from the

kick.

"Oh my God, Zack," said Cody, running over to his brother. That was

the last thing Zack heard before passing out.

"Zack. Zack, buddy, can you hear me?" asked a voice. Zack opened his

eyes. Cody was leaning over him. Zack looked around. He was in an

ambulance.

"We're going to the hospital. Mom's meeting us there," said Cody. Zack moaned.

"It's okay, Zack," Cody said, resting his hand on his shoulder. "I'm right here," Zack went back to sleep.

Hospital

As soon as they arrived at the hospital, Zack was taken to the ER.

Carey was waiting for Cody. Cody explained what had happened. After that, they could only wait. A doctor came out after what seemed like forever.

"Mrs. Martin. I'm Dr. Jake Conroy. Zack was lucky. His injuries could have been worse. There's no internal bleeding or damaged organs. He has two cracked ribs and a shattered right arm. His nose will require surgery as will his ear. He had two of his teeth knocked out. He has stitches in his gums and we fitted him for false ones that were already put in. His arm has been set and he has a sling and a cast. This could have been a lot worse if his brother hadn't found him."

"When's his surgery?" asked Cody.

"He'll need two of them. Maybe three because of his arm. He'll probably have his ear worked on tonight. You can go see him now." Carey and Cody followed Jake to Zack's room. Zack looked miserable. He had a black eye, a bandage on his nose, one covering his ear, and his arm was in a brace. Carey leaned down and kissed him on the cheek.

"Oh, Zack. Why didn't you tell me kids were picking on you?" she asked.

"They don't pick on me, Mom. They pick on Cody," said Zack.

"But they never put me in the hospital," Cody pointed out. Zack winced as his arm started to ache. Tears fell down his face.

"My arm hurts so much," said Zack.

"I know, honey," she said, stroking his cheek. "The doctors will take care of you, though. Until then, we'll be here." Zack nodded miserably. He closed his eyes and drifted off. Carey and Cody sat down and watched him sleep.


	2. Chapter 2 Zack and Cody

Hey everyone. Here's the next chapter. Both of us wrote this one so you'll notice a change in writing style. Please review. It would make us happy.

Chapter 2 Zack and Cody

Cody stayed with Zack for a long time after he fell asleep. Carey went down to the lobby to make some phone calls to their school and the Tipton.

In the hospital room, Zack slept peacefully. The doctors told them that they would start prepping him for surgery at five o'clock.

Cody sighed and sat back in his chair. He drummed his fingers against the metal bar on Zack's bed and thought about everything he told him. He furrowed his eyebrows and clenched his teeth as he recalled the events that landed Zack in the hospital.

_'I'm going to kill Drew,' _he thought silently, rocking back and forth. He stared at the floor, _'I'm going to make sure he suffers as much as he made Zack suffer.'_

"Don't do anything stupid."

Cody jumped and looked at Zack.

"What do you mean?"

"You're thinking about doing something crazy," he said. His voice sounded weak and soft, "I can tell."

Cody pushed Zack's hair back and rubbed his forehead, "I'm just thinking about what I'm going to do to get back at Drew."

Zack sat up slightly, alarmed, "I knew it. Cody, just let it go."

"Are you kidding me? Zack, he could have killed you."

Zack lay down against the pillows, "Mom said she would call the school. Let them deal with it. I—I don't want anything to happen to you."

He averted his eyes thinking about how under normal circumstances _he _would be the one planning a payback on Drew for hurting Cody. Now it was the other way around.

"We don't have to talk about that right now," Cody said slowly, sensing Zack's discomfort, "All that matters right now is that you get better." He paused, "How are you feeling, by the way?"

Zack shrugged, "Everything still hurts," he said tearfully, "I'm trying not to think about it."  
"Well the doctors will be here to prep you for surgery in about twenty minutes," Cody said, "Is there anything I can do until then?"

"Just stay here," he whispered, closing his eyes.

"I don't have anywhere else to be," Cody reminded him.

Zack opened one bleary eye—the one that wasn't practically swollen shut—"and if you did?"

Cody smiled at him, "I'd be here anyway."

Zack returned the smile, "Thanks Cody."

Cody kissed his cheek, "Get some rest," he whispered, "You need to build your strength up for the operation."

Zack was asleep before Carey returned to the room.

"He's still sleeping?" she stated more than asked.

"He was awake for a minute," Cody told her. He shifted positions in his seat so he was facing her, "He's going to be okay, right?"

Carey smoothed his hair, "Of course he is," she told him, "I'm afraid that the bullies at school may have done more emotional damage than physical. He's really going to need us right now."

Cody nodded in agreement.

_'He must have _a lot _of emotional damage if it's even_ more _than how they physically hurt him,'_ he thought.

Carey sat down beside him and they stared helplessly at Zack. It was not long before Jake came back into the room. Zack was just starting to wake up again.

"It's time to start prepping for surgery," he told them, "Are you ready, Zack?"

Suddenly nervous tears sprung to Zack's eyes, "I guess so," he replied hoarsely.

"Don't be scared, Zack," Cody said, giving Zack's unbroken arm a comforting squeeze, "We'll be waiting for you when it's over."

Zack nodded and said goodbye to his mom and Cody. He tried to put on a brave face, but on the inside he was nervous and scared.

Jake had arranged for Dr. Ellen Walker, one of the best craniofacial surgeons at the hospital, to operate on Zack. She met with Zack right outside the OR doors.

"Hi Zack. My names Ellen. I'm going to be fixing your ear," said Ellen.

"Hi," said Zack nervously.

"Don't be nervous. This is going to be a very simple produce," said Ellen. Zack nodded.

"Do you have any questions before we head into the operating room?" asked Ellen.

"How long is it going to take?" asked Zack nervously.

"Let me see your ear and I'll let you know," said Ellen. Zack tilted his head so Ellen could take the bandage of his ear and survey the damage. Zack winced as Ellen slowly took the bandage off. Zack's ear was covered in blood and puss. There was considerable damage to it.

"It will probably take about two hours to fix your ear," said Ellen. Zack nodded. He let out a nervous sigh as he was wheeled into the operating room. A nurse helped him onto the operating table. Zack winced as an IV was put in his hand.

"You're going to start to feel sleepy now, Zack," said Ellen. Zack's vision was fading in and out. The drugs were working. A gas mask was held over his face. Zack fell into a deep sleep. His mouth was forced opened and a tube was put down his throat. After that his head was turned to the side. Robin let out a sigh and began to fix Zack's ear. Meanwhile, all that Carey and Cody could do is wait.


	3. Chapter 3 Momentary Peace

Chapter 3 Momentary Peace

The private waiting room was silent except for the light, squeaky sound of Cody's shoes against the polished floor. He paced back and forth as his mother sat in the couch, trying to read a magazine article. The words she was staring at went right through her head. All she could think about was Zack and how he was doing.

Cody paused and glanced out the window. It was getting dark. He wished he were at home with his mom and his brother, doing homework outside their room. Closing his eyes, he could see the way he wanted things to be. Carey would be cooking dinner. It was Thursday—spaghetti night. The TV would be on, the volume turned down to a slight droning noise. Cody would be working on his science homework, occasionally helping Zack with his math. Everything would be normal.

_'But it's not normal,' _he thought sadly, _'and it's all my fault. Zack would be fine if he didn't have to stick up for me all the time.'_

Cody sighed, letting out a long shuddering breath. He looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost eight thirty.

"What's taking so long?" he wondered out loud. His voice was thick from concealing the tears that were threatening to escape.

Carey put the magazine down, "Cody?" she asked, "Come sit down."

He went to the couch and sat beside her, "They said it would only take two hours," he said, his voice filled with worry, "It's been over three."

She put her arm around his frail shoulders, "I know. Try not to worry though. They're just working on his ear—nothing life threatening."

"I just feel so bad for him," Cody choked out, "He wouldn't be in there if it weren't for me."

"Don't say that."

"It's true!" he cried passionately, "He doesn't have a problem with Drew and the other guys. It's me who they hate! They wouldn't have beaten him up if he didn't stand up for me the other day."

"You're not going to have to worry about them anymore," Carey said, hoping her words would bring him comfort, "I called the school earlier and I'm pressing charges."

Cody let out a bitter laugh, "Yeah, that'll really help things. They're just going to hate us more. We'll be in and out of the hospital until we graduate."

"Look at me," Carey told him. He did, "This is very serious. I can't believe you didn't tell me what was going on before now."

He sighed sadly, "I know I should have. If I did maybe this wouldn't have happened."

"Why _didn't _you tell me?"

Cody shrugged and stared at the tiled floor, "I don't know. I guess I thought it would go away on its own. I never thought it would get this bad. Drew and his friends have beaten me up before, but never like this. And they never did anything like this to Zack before," he looked into Carey's eyes, "I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Of course you didn't," she said gently. She rubbed his back, "And it's not going to happen again. We'll get a restraining order. I'll transfer you guys to a different school if I have to."

Cody nodded, even though he didn't agree with what his mother was saying. He was tired of running away from his problems. That's what he did when it was just him that the bullies were picking on. But now that they dragged Zack into it, he wasn't going to take it lying down. He didn't care about what his mother said. He wanted revenge.

Before either of them had a chance to say anything else, Dr. Walker came into the room, dressed in scrubs. Carey and Cody stood up immediately.

"The surgery went very well," she told them before they could start firing questions at her, "his eardrum was damaged and some of his cartilage had to be removed because it was crushed. He may need a hearing aid in the future, but everything appears to be okay. When his ear heals I'll need to perform a follow up operation just to make sure everything is healing up nicely and to fix any other problems that pop up."

"Can we see him? Where is he?" asked Cody, anxious to see his brother.

"His arm is being set right now. That shouldn't take much longer. He's in room 304. You can go in whenever you want."

Cody and Carey exchanged relived glances.

"Thank you, Ellen," Carey said, "Is he awake yet?"

"No, he's not. That's something else I wanted to discuss with you. During the surgery we noticed that he had a slight reaction to the anesthesia. Dr. Conroy wants to wait until tomorrow for his second surgery because we don't want him to build a tolerance to it. He'll be in there in a few minutes if you have any questions about that."

"Will Zack be in pain?" Cody asked, with an edge to his voice. He did not want his brother to suffer.

"I do not know at this point," she replied, "Dr. Conroy has all the answers for you."

"Thank you," Carey said again. She picked up her purse and slung it over her shoulder, "Come on, Cody, let's go see him."

They said goodbye to Ellen, then went up the elevator and down the hall to the room where Zack was recovering. His arm was in a cast and there was a bandage of white gauze on his ear. The edges were turning red with blood.

Cody made his way to the bed where Zack was sound asleep. He softly wiped away the drool that was trailing down Zack's chin. Carey joined him at Zack's bedside and kissed Zack's forehead.

"Mmhmm," Zack mumbled softly, "where am I?"

Cody stepped back, surprised. He was not expecting Zack to wake up for awhile.

"You just got out of surgery, baby," Carey said gently, stroking his forehead.

Zack opened his eyes and looked at Cody.

"How are you feeling?" Cody asked.

"Okay," Zack whispered, "Did they fix me?"

Cody smiled softly, relieved that Zack was well enough to attempt humor, "You did good," he told him, "The surgery was a success." He bent down and kissed Zack's cheek, "I'm proud of you, buddy."

Zack lifted his hand up slightly. He was too weak to get it very high. Cody got the message and gave it a squeeze, "Everything's going to be okay, Zack."

Zack nodded and closed his eyes. For the first time since he got to the hospital, he felt safe.

"Get some sleep, baby. We'll stay right here," said Carey. Zack mumbled a response and then fell asleep. Cody and Carey sat in silence and watched him sleep. Hs ear continued to bleed but stopped after a few minutes. Jake walked into the room about a minute later.

"Hi," said Jake.

"Hi," said Carey.

"So he'll be having his nose worked on tomorrow night. That operation will probably take longer and be more intense. We'll be using a different kind of anesthesia since he's building a tolerance to the one we used tonight," explained Jake. He took a small box containing a syringe and needle out of his pocket.

"What's that?" asked Cody.

"Drugs to make him sleep," said Jake. He gave Zack a shot in his arm.

"Now he won't wake up every twenty minutes," said Jake.

"Will he need more surgery after his nose?" asked Cody.

"I assume Ellen told you about his second ear operation. He is going to have surgery on his arm. That's going to be major so we'll hold off until he's stronger. He might need surgery on his lips. Those feel a little beat up. We'll just have to wait and see what develops really," said Jake. Cody nodded.

"Well I'll leave you with him. If you need anything, just ask a nurse," said Jake.

"Thank you," said Carey.

"Don't mention it," said Jake. He gave them a reassuring smile and then left. Cody and Carey turned their attention to Zack.

"Poor guy," said Cody, stroking Zack's arm.

"He's doing great. We both know Zack is strong. He'll make it through this," said Carey. Cody and Carey got comfortable and waited for Zack to wake up.

Please review. We would like it very much.


	4. Chapter 4 Zack's Second Surgery

Chapter 4 Zack's Second Surgery

When Zack woke up a few hours later, both Carey and Cody had fallen asleep. Carey was curled up in the small couch in the private hospital room. Cody was sitting in the folding chair. He was slumped over Zack's bed. Zack picked up Cody's limp wrist to look at his watch and see the time. It was ten o'clock. He sighed, knowing that the next day he was going to have two more surgeries, one for his nose and one for his arm. He was still feeling weak and sleepy from his first surgery. He did not want to go through two more of them.

A tear slid down the side of his cheek. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but he was really scared. People _died_ during surgeries—even small ones. Anything could go wrong.

"When did you wake up?"

Zack looked up and saw that Cody was sitting up in his chair, "Just a minute ago," he answered in a thick voice.

"What's wrong?" Cody asked, "Does something hurt? I can get a nurse to give you something for the pain."

"Nothing hurts," he said.

Cody frowned, "then what's wrong?"

Zack sighed, "I don't know."

"Come on, Zack, you can tell me."

Zack shook his head.

"Okay, we don't have to talk about that. You need to get some sleep anyways so you're ready for your operations tomorrow."

As soon as the word 'operations' escaped from Cody's mouth, Zack began to cry again, very softly.

"Oh," Cody whispered, "That's what's wrong, isn't it? You're worried about the operations."

Zack nodded, not saying anything.

Cody sat on the edge of Zack's bed and gently gathered his brother into his arms, careful not to hurt him or move any of the wires, "You're going to be fine, Zack," he promised, "The doctors know what they're doing. Your first operation went fine, and the next two will too."

Zack held onto Cody's hand as tightly as he could, "How do you know?" he asked through his tears.

"I know because you're strong," Cody told him, "You're going to be fine. You always are."

"Not today," Zack mumbled, "I couldn't even defend myself."

"That's because Drew had a whole crew of friends on his side," Cody reminded him, "You were all by yourself."

Zack shrugged. Cody sighed. He obviously wasn't getting anywhere. He considered waking up his mother and having her talk to Zack. But at the same time he knew that Zack needed to hear it from him.

"I just want to go home," Zack whispered.

Cody kissed him on the top of his head, "You will," he said, "That's why you have to go through with the operations and give it a hundred percent."

"It's not like I'm doing anything," Zack muttered, "I just lay there and let the doctors do all the work. I'm not even awake for it."

"But if you have a positive attitude you'll get through it easier," Cody argued, "I promise."

Zack looked up into Cody's eyes, identical to his own, "I'm really scared, Cody."

Cody squeezed his hand, "I know you are. Just remember that Mom and I will be there waiting for you. You aren't alone in this. You won't ever be alone."

Zack nodded, "Thanks."

Cody, who was still holding his brother in his arms, gave him a hug. He knew that Zack was still scared, but he hoped that he was starting to feel a little bit better.

Zack was scheduled for a ten 'o' clock surgery the next morning. He'd be having his nose fixed first and then his arm. Ellen would also use the surgery time to fix any other problems involving Zack's face that popped up. Zack was waiting with Carey and Cody in the prep room when Jake and Ellen walked in. Jake looked frustrated.

"What's wrong?" asked Carey, seeing the expression on Jake's face.

"The doctor I had scheduled to fix Zack's arm called in sick. He has the flu. I'm looking for a replacement but unfortunately there's a shortage of orthopedic surgeons today," said Jake.

"So I'm not having surgery on my arm?" asked Zack.

"We may need to reschedule," said Jake.

"Heard you have someone with a broken arm," said a voice from the door. Everyone turned their attention to the doorway. A doctor was standing in the doorway, drinking a cup of coffee and looking rather confident.

"Mark, where the hell have you been?" asked Jake. "I went to your office but you weren't there."

"Caffeine craving," said Mark.

"This is Dr. Mark Benson, one of the best surgeons at the hospital," said Jake.

"Broken arms are my specialty. I'm here to help," said Mark.

"This is Zack. He's got a badly shattered arm," said Jake. Zack waved with his unbroken arm.

"Mind if I take a look?" asked Mark, walking over to Zack.

"Go ahead," said Zack.

"Hold my coffee, Ellen," said Mark, handing his cup to Ellen.

"Sure thing," said Ellen, rolling her eyes and taking the cup. Mark carefully took the cast and brace off Zack so he could examine his arm. Zack winced a little as Mark felt his arm.

"Now that's a broken arm. Oh man. What happened?" asked Mark.

"Some jerk slammed a locker door against it," said Zack. "Do you think you can fix it?"

"No problem. You won't even know it was broken when I'm finished," said Mark. He put Zack's cast and brace back on.

"I'm going to get ready. I'll see you in the OR, Zack," said Mark. He took his coffee back and left.

"Your arm couldn't be in better hands then his," said Jake. "And your nose will be just fine when Ellen is done." Zack nodded. The tears started to come. Jake and Ellen said goodbye and then left so Zack could be alone with Cody and Carey.

"Oh, Zack, don't cry. They're going to take great care of you," said Cody. Zack let out a sob.

"I know. I'm just scared that something terrible may happen," said Zack. Cody and Carey leaned down and hugged Zack. They let him have a good cry. After twenty minutes, the nurses arrived to take Zack to surgery. Carey and Cody kissed Zack goodbye and assured him that they would be right there with him when he woke up. Zack gave his family a small wave as he wheeled to surgery.

Ellen and Mark were already in the operating room when Zack was wheeled in. Mark was getting his tools ready and Ellen was taking one last look at Zack's x-rays. Zack was helped onto the surgical table.

"Hey. Dr. Walker," said Zack.

"Yeah, Zack," said Ellen.

"My lips feel funny and a little numb. I think they were damaged or something when I got beat up. I meant to say something earlier but I was too scared. Anyway you can fix them?" asked Zack.

"Sure thing. They are looking a little swollen," said Ellen. She stepped back as Zack was put under. Ellen waited a couple of minutes as Zack was prepped. Ellen walked back to the operating table. Zack had a tube in his mouth and tape over his eyes. The tube was in the side of Zack's mouth so that Ellen could work on his lips after his nose. She slowly peeled the bandage off Zack's nose. The bandage stuck a little since Zack's nose was covered in blood and puss.

"His nose is really beat up. This is going to take longer then I thought," said Ellen. She squeezed Zack's nose. Blood flowed from his nostrils.

"Woah," said Ellen. "This is going to be tricky." The nose surgery was bloody and long. The punch to Zack's nose had shattered most of the bone. Blood poured from Zack's nose as Ellen worked. She finished after two hours.

"On to the lips," said Ellen. Zack's lips were damaged slightly. It took Ellen an hour to fix them. After that she and her team made sure he was stable and then stepped back so that Mark and his team could work. Zack's broken arm was stretched out and tied down. Mark let out a sigh and then cut Zack's arm open. It was a mess in Zack's arm.

"This is not going to be easy to rebuild. He may not have as much movement in his arm," said Mark.

"Do what you can," said Ellen. Mark nodded and got to work.

Reviews are much appreciated.


	5. Chapter 5 Bad News

Chapter 5 Bad News

Cody nervously drummed his fingers against the arm of the chair he was sitting in. Carey looked up and smiled reassuringly at him. He halfheartedly returned the smile, and then focused his gaze on the empty hospital bed in front of him. Zack had just gotten out of yet another surgery, but he had not been brought back to the recovery room.

According to Ellen, they were able to fix Zack's nose without any lasting damage. While he was still under anesthesia, they went in and drained the excess fluid from his lips that was making them swell. He also got stitches put in his lips to prevent any bleeding that might occur.

Mark did everything he could to fix Zack's arm. He was able to set the major breaks, but he had to put in metal rods where the bone was shattered. There was also some nerve damage. It was unknown to him whether or not it would affect Zack's motor skills. Other than that, the operations went well. He told Ellen to get Zack's family and bring them into the recovery room and that he would bring Zack in there once he finished stitching him up.

Now Cody and Carey had moved out of the waiting room and into the recovery room, but they were still waiting on Zack.

Carey glanced at Cody and sighed. She could tell that he was extremely worried about Zack. She was worried too, but she did everything she could to keep a positive outlook so she did not scare Cody.

_'He does not need to know that I'm worried about Zack,'_ she told herself for what seemed like the hundredth time, _'He's scared enough as it is. If he realizes that I'm scared too that will just freak him out even more.'_

So she painted a fake smile on her face and pretended to read the magazine she had in her lap.

After a few minutes Mark and some of the orderlies wheeled Zack in on a gurney. Carey and Cody stood up immediately and let them transfer the sleeping boy from the gurney to the hospital bed. They were careful so that they did not disturb the IV that Zack was connected to.

Cody went to the hospital bed and Carey hung back to talk to the doctors. Cody was surprised at what he saw.

Zack's arm was in a cast and a sling. His nose was bandaged up and there was gauze taped between his lips. Blood was seeping through the bandage on his nose a little. His face was puffy and swollen. He had what looked like a shower cap covering his head, which was used to keep his longish hair out of the way when the doctors operated on his nose and his lips.

_'He looks bad,'_ Cody realized, _'This really is a big deal.'_

He kissed Zack's forehead, "Hey," he whispered, "I know you can't hear me, Zack, but I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." He paused and drew in a deep breath, "I'm so sorry that this is happening to you. I know it's all my fault."

Tears stung his eyes.

_'Drew is so dead.'_

Carey joined Cody at the hospital bed, "He got through the surgeries," she said brightly.

"You don't have to do that you know."

Carey frowned, "I don't have to do what?"

He looked at her, tears shined in his big eyes, "You don't have to pretend that everything is going to be fine. I'm not a baby; I can see how serious this is."

She raised her eyebrows, "Cody, I know that you're not a baby. You have been very mature through this whole ordeal. You've been great with Zack and I'm really proud of you for that," she sighed, "And I'm not 'pretending' that everything is going to be fine. I know that he's going to get through this. It might take awhile, but he's going to be okay."

"I hope so," he muttered.

The two of them sat down in the chairs by the bed and watched Zack sleep. Cody leaned against Carey's shoulder and soon he fell asleep too.

Carey stroked Zack's cheek.

"You've been so strong, Zack," she said softly, "I love you so much."

Zack blinked. His eyes darted around the bright room. They met with Carey's.

She smiled at him, "You're awake."

Zack nodded. He opened his mouth to say something but Carey put her finger up to her lips, "Shhh, don't talk, sweetie, they just operated on your lips."

He nodded again, remembering.

Carey kissed his cheek and then asked, "Do you feel okay?"

Frustrated, he nodded again. It seemed like that was the only thing he could do. If he was able to, he would have told her that he didn't feel anything at all. His face felt numb, and so did his arm. This scared him when he first woke up, but then he remembered Ellen telling him that it might happen after the surgery.

Zack glanced around the room. He saw Cody sleeping next to their mom. He was glad that they were there with him; it made the whole hospital experience seem a lot less scary.

He sighed, and wondered how much longer his content feeling would last.

While the Martins relaxed in Zack's room, Jake was called to a small room near the hospital lab. An x-ray technician was waiting for him. Seth Arens pushed his glasses off his nose as Jake walked in.

"You paged me?" asked Jake.

"Zack Martin's x-rays came in," said Seth. "When he got here he was given a full body scan as well as the x-rays on his arm and nose."

"I know. So is there a problem in other parts of his stomach?" asked Jake.

"Yeah. Seems when he was kicked in the stomach it damaged his stomach and his bladder. The bladder started leaking into the stomach and the stomach started leaking stomach acid. Organ failure is slowly starting to develop. His spleen and pancreas are going to go first. Then he'll develop an intestinal infection. Then his liver and kidneys will go. He'll start feeling pain soon. He needs all of those problems fixed at the same time. If we keep taking him in and out of surgery to fix these problems, we might hurt him once. He needs one major and complicated surgery. I would know. This happened to my son last year."

"We have no one here who can perform an operation like that," said Jake.

"No. But there is a brilliant and highly skilled surgeon staying in Boston right away. He was my son's surgeon last year and he saved his life. He's in town for a conference," said Seth.

"Where's he staying?" asked Jake.

"The Tipton," said Seth.

"His name?" asked Jake.

"Jack Cole," said Seth.

"Oh God," said Jake. Jack Cole was infamous among his fellow doctors. He was a loose cannon and a playboy. He had worked at some of the best hospitals in the world. Jake had attended med school with him. Jack was considered to be one of the top surgeons in the world. His main problem was he got too close to patients and would often clash with hospital staff over the care of the patient. Jake hated to call him in. The man was a powder keg waiting to go off, especially if he got close to the Martin. But after hearing what Zack would have to go through, Jake knew that Jack Cole was the only one who could save his life.

Jack Cole yawned as he walked through the deserted hallways of the hospital. He had been woken up thirty minutes ago by a call from Jake Conroy. He needed Jack's help. Jack had almost said no. He wasn't in Boston to perform a high risk operation on a thirteen-year-old boy. But Jake had explained the seriousness of the matter and that no other doctor at the hospital could do it. Jack had agreed finally after a seven minute discussion. And now at eleven-thirty at night, he was going to meet with Jake. They couldn't waste time in preparing for the operation. Although they would have to wait until the boy recovered from his most recent surgery, they still needed to use every possible minute to prepare for the operation and start getting the boy ready.

Jake had no choice but to wake the Martin family up. Jack would need to examine Zack right away. Jake explained to Carey and Cody what was going on. The color drained from Carey's face as Jake explained Zack's situation to her. She had a near impossible time not having a nervous breakdown during Zack's most recent operation. How could she keep her cool if Zack's stomach was going to be cut open? Cody nearly burst into tears. He couldn't believe it. Zack was dying. Cody's hatred for Drew grew more and more. He couldn't imagine what he would do if Zack died. Before Cody could start thinking about nasty things he wanted to do to Drew, Jake mentioned that Zack needed a donor kidney. Cody didn't hesitate.

"I'll do it," said Cody. "I'll do anything to save Zack."

Next chapter is going to feature a flashback right at the start and then pick up where this chapter left off. Please review. My partner and I would greatly appreciate it.


	6. Chapter 6 Transplants and Memories

Yeah, very long chapter. Please review or you'll make the authors very sad.

Chapter 6 Transplant and Memories

"Cody, no," Carey said, standing up and walking over to him.

He looked at her with a feeling of surprise, "Why not?" he asked, "I want Zack to have one of my kidneys. He needs the transplant—"

"I know he does," Carey said, "But I'm not going to put your life in danger to save Zack's."

"My life won't be in danger. People have kidney transplants all the time."

"Cody, I'm going to have to agree with your mother," Jake said, stepping in, "at least for the time being. You need some time to think about something like this. You need to meet with a psychiatrist and undergo tests to make sure that you're a suitable donor."

"We're identical twins," Cody interrupted, "I'm more suitable than anyone else in the world."

Jake sighed, "You have your whole life ahead of you. Unless there are no other donors, we generally use adults or donated organs."

"I don't play sports," he pleaded, "I don't need two kidneys."

"I'd like to undergo the tests," Carey said, "I can start right now."

Jake nodded, "I'll take you down in a minute. Zack's condition is our top priority right now. When he wakes up our psychiatrist, Dr. Evans would like to have a quick word with him. Not everyone is eligible for organ transplants. Not everyone can handle the idea of having someone else's body parts in them. Unless it is extremely urgent like in the case of Zack or a car accident victim for example, the procedure to get on the organ donor list takes months. After a few tests we can decide whether or not he'll make the cut."

"You can't do that!" Cody exclaimed, "You just said he needs a transplant! You can't _not_ give him one."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about him not making the list," Jake said gently, "We're taking into account that he has only had a few hours to deal with this prognosis. We understand that he may or may not be thinking like himself right now."

"So what happens now?" Carey asked.

"We'll do the tests on you," Jake replied, "Do you have any other family in the area? Any other family who is over the age of eighteen that is," he added when Cody opened his mouth.

"My husband," Carey replied, "I mean my ex-husband. He's not in the area but I left him a few messages."

"What if they aren't suitable donors?" Cody asked.

"We'll put him on the waiting list for a day or two. That's really all he has. If we don't get anything that would work for him, we may have to turn to you."  
"Wouldn't it save a lot of time to just take the kidney out of me _now_?" Cody asked, "I don't want it anyways."

Jake laughed softly, "If we find one our way then you and Zack can both get out of this with two working kidneys."

Cody turned to Carey, "If they don't find one can I donate one of mine?"

She bit her lip, "I don't know Cody."

"Please mom, I want to do this," he begged with tears springing to his eyes, "for Zack."

She looked at Jake.

"It's a very standard procedure;" he told her gently, "plenty of people can live perfectly normal lives with one kidney. And Cody is very strong and in good health. If it weren't for his age he would be the perfect candidate to donate."

Carey sighed, "If there's no other way, then yes, Cody. You can donate your kidney to Zack."

"I'll take you down for the tests now, Carey," Jake said, "This won't take long."

"I'm going to go sit with Zack," Cody announced. He left the waiting room and went to Zack's room.

He walked in quietly, knowing that Zack was still sleeping. He sat down in the chair beside his bed and stared at him. He was bandaged up and his bruises stood out against his light tan skin. His nose was still slightly bleeding and the bandage on it was almost completely covered in blood. Although the excess fluid had been drained from Zack's lips, they still looked a little swollen. Zack's stomach rose and fell as he slept. Cody picked up his hand.

"I hate seeing you like this, Zack," he whispered, "And I hate that it's my fault."

Cody sat back in his chair and thought back to what happened the morning of the fight.

_Cody was walking down from Honors Biology to the cafeteria. Lunch period had already started a few minutes earlier, but he stayed in the classroom to put the science equipment away. He wasn't very hungry. He just spent the last hour dissecting worms. The last thing on his mind was food. _

_"Hey Martin!" called a familiar voice._

_Cody whirled around and saw Drew and his two best friends, John and David, walking toward him._

_"Um, hi," Cody said nervously. He looked around. There was no one else in the hall. _

_Drew shoved him against the locker and punched him in the stomach, "I have a problem with tattle-tales, Martin. But I'm not going to deal with you here. Meet me after school, at three o'clock in the football field."_

_"I didn't tell on you," Cody muttered through clenched teeth as he clutched his stomach._

_He thought back to earlier that day. Drew dropped his plastic water gun by Cody's desk. Their homeroom teacher, Mrs. Morris, told Cody that water guns were not allowed in school and that she would have to confiscate it. Cody just told her that it wasn't his and that Drew dropped it. _

_Cody didn't understand why Drew was so mad at him. It was just a stupid water gun that couldn't have cost more than a few dollars. And Drew didn't even get in trouble for it._

_Drew punched him again, harder this time. Cody doubled over._

_"I mean it Martin. Be at the football field at—"_

_"What do you think you're doing?"_

_Cody looked up and saw Zack standing there. He sighed with relief. _

_"I'm teaching your twin here a lesson," Drew replied. He kicked Cody in the shins, "You got a problem with that?"_

_"Yeah, I do," Zack said, loudly, "leave him alone!"_

_Hearing the commotion in the hall, one of the eighth grade teachers opened her classroom door and saw Drew holding Cody up against the locker._

_"What's going on out here?" she asked sternly._

_"Nothing," Drew, David, and John said all at the same time._

_"It doesn't look like nothing," said the teacher, "You know the school's policy on violence, Drew. I'll see you in detention."_

_"I have football practice at three thirty!" Drew exclaimed, "I can't be late or I'll be benched for Saturday's game."_

_"You should have thought of that before you started a fight," the teacher said, "Now go straight to the principal's office for the rest of your lunch period. I'm calling him and telling him that you're on your way—David and John, you too."_

_Drew glanced at Zack and Cody, "This isn't over," he muttered under his breath._

_The twins watched as Drew and his friends walked dejectedly down the hall._

_"You boys get to the cafeteria," the teacher said, "and next time you see someone start a fight, get a teacher. Don't try to stop it on your own."_

_Zack and Cody walked down to the cafeteria._

_"Are teachers really that stupid?" Zack asked angrily, "We can't just tell on the people who start fights. That'll just make them madder."_

_Cody nodded, "Thanks for getting me out of that, Zack," he said softly._

_"No problem."_

_The two of them walked into the cafeteria, hoping that their troubles with Drew were over._

Cody shook his head as the memory came back to him. If he hadn't pissed Drew off with the stupid water gun thing, he never would have picked the fight during lunch. And Zack never would have had to break it up, so Drew wouldn't have gotten mad at him.

_'It's not _just_ my fault,' _Cody thought silently as he rubbed Zack's arm, _'It's Drew's fault too.'_

After about an hour, Carey returned to the room with tears in her eyes. Jake was with her.

"What's wrong?" Cody asked immediately.

She sat down, "I'm not a match for Zack," she said softly, "I can't donate one of my kidneys."

Cody looked at Jake, "Does that mean he goes on the waiting list?"

"Yes," he replied, "He's top priority. If any kidneys come in that match his DNA, it will go straight to him."

"And if they don't."

Jake and Carey exchanged glances, and then he looked at Cody, "We're not going to worry about that just yet."

Carey sat down beside Cody and stroked Zack's hair.

"I'll leave you guys alone for awhile," Jake said, "I'll be back when we have any news."

"Thank you," Carey said.

"I still can't believe this is happening," Cody said after Jake left, "It doesn't feel real. I keep thinking I'm dreaming and I'll wake up any second."

Carey kissed his forehead, "I know," she said, "me too."

From on the bed, Zack opened his eyes. He had been awake for a few seconds, "me too."

The Martins fell asleep within minutes. The past two days had been exhausting. Jake passed out in his office chair. Jack Cole, who had been looking over Zack's tests results, x-rays, and surgery reports, didn't get any sleep. He was formulating his strategy for operating on Zack. He'd need a large team. He'd need to use a very strong anesthesia since the surgery would take well over eight hours. Jack sighed as he rubbed his eyes. He couldn't believe that Jake wasn't going to use Cody's kidney. Zack needed help fast. The kidney could be done before the big operation. The other problems weren't developing as fast as once thought. Jack could do it that evening if Jake would just let Cody donate a kidney. Jack sighed and got up to go find Jake. The halls were deserted. Jack looked at his watch. Six-thirty. He needed to get some sleep after this.

Jake was awake and looking over some new x-rays of Zack.

"What do you got there?" asked Jack.

"Dental x-rays taken after Zack's surgery yesterday. The two false teeth we put in are causing an infection in his mouth. He needs to have them replaced," said Jake.

"Surgery?" asked Jack.

"No. I'll send him down to the oral clinic this morning. They'll fix him right up," said Jake.

"Jake, I think you're making a mistake in not letting the brother donate a kidney," said Jack. Jake sighed.

"We're running out of time. The transplant will be a hundred times more complicated if I have to operate on other parts of his stomach as well. Don't forget he has other organs that need care," said Jack. Jake rubbed his eyes.

"I want to try every possibility before I send Cody to the operating room," said Jake.

"And what if Zack dies while he's waiting? Then what? Oops, I fucked up. No. That would leave you in deep shit," said Jack. He sat down.

"Are you nervous, Jake? Afraid problems might occur for Cody during surgery?" asked Jack.

"A little yeah," said Jake.

"Then let me operate on him," said Jack.

"You're operating on Zack," said Jake.

"I'll do both. Have someone remove Zack's kidneys while I'm operating on Cody. When Cody's kidney is taken to Zack's operating room then I'll go with it and put it in him. That way you know their both in good hands," said Jack.

"Normal transplants don't work like that," said Jake.

"This isn't normal. This is a race against time," said Jack. Jake sighed.

"Fine. Let's do it," said Jake. Jack smiled.

"OK. I'm going to go sleep until noon and then I'll be back to meet the boys," said Jack. Jake nodded. Jack stood up and left. Jake leaned back in his chair. As much as he thought jack was a loose cannon, he knew he would get the job done. He just hoped it would work.

Jake contacted Diane Evans to see if she was in. He found that she had the day off. Well, there goes having her talk to Zack. At least for the time being. Jake met with Cody and Carey right outside of Zack's room. Jake had sent Zack down to the oral clinic to have his false teeth replaced.

"After some careful thinking, I've decided to go ahead and test Cody to see if he's eligible," said Jake.

"Yes," said Cody. Although the idea of surgery scared him a little, he was glad that he could help his brother.

"One of the best surgeons in the world is going to work on both boys if Cody's eligible. He's going to take the kidney out of Cody and then go put it in Zack," said Jake.

"When?" asked Carey.

"Tonight if Cody is eligible. When Zack gets done in the oral clinic, I'll go talk to him to see if he's up for this. Dr. Evans is out today," said Jake. He checked his watch.

"Let's go get those tests done now," said Jake.  
"Want me to go with you?" asked Carey, putting a hand on Cody's shoulder.

"I'll be fine," said Cody. He kissed Carey goodbye and then went with Jake.

The tests weren't that major. Blood test. Ultrasound to make sure Cody's organs were in good health. A physical. It took an hour for the blood test to come back. The news was good. Cody was a perfect match. No shock there. Jake and Cody went to go inform Carey.

"Perfect match," said Jake.

"So it's happening," said Carey.

"Probably," said Jake. A nurse tapped him on the shoulder.

"Zack just got out of the oral clinic. Jack is talking to him. As far as I know, Zack will go through anything to make himself better. He's in good health. The transplant can happen," said the nurse.

"Thank you," said Jake. The nurse left.

"So you guys can hang out until surgery time," said Jake.

"Thank you, Jake. For everything," said Carey. She and Cody went to go sit in Zack's room.

The surgery was scheduled for seven. Zack and Cody were brought into the prep area at around six-thirty. Jack was waiting for them.

"Mrs. Martin. Hi. I'm Jack Cole. Jake got held up somewhere so he won't be here for the start," said Jack, shaking Carey's hand.

"That's OK," said Carey. Jack turned to Cody.

"You must be Cody," said Jack. Cody nodded.

"Just a quick question before we rock and roll. Ever had surgery before?" asked Jack.

"Last year I had my appendix removed and the year before that I had my tonsils taken out," said Cody.

"Zack?" asked Jack.

"Had my appendix taken out last year. Not to mention the surgeries I had recently," said Zack.

"OK. So you both kind of know the drill. Transplants require a lot of anesthesia so you'll be tired when you wake up. You'll be pretty weak too. But don't worry. You're in good hands. Cody, I'll operate on you first. Zack, there's an awesome surgeon named Dr. Fox Carson who is waiting for you inside the OR. He'll talk to you when you get in there. He'll remove your kidneys but I'll show up later to put in your new kidney. Any question?"

"How long will it take?" asked Cody.

"Two hours for you. Four or five for Zack. Might be a little longer then that," said Jack. "So I'll see you in there." He left. Carey spent a few minutes with her boys. Nurses after awhile to take them into surgery. Carey kissed her boys goodbye. Cody leaned over his gurney and gave Zack a kiss on the cheek.

"Good luck," said Cody.

"You too," said Zack. The two brothers waved goodbye to their mom and each other and then were wheeled into their respected operating rooms. Carey sighed and prayed that nothing would go wrong.


	7. Chapter 7 Cody's Gift

This entire chapter was written by Crimson Haze. I'll be writing the entire next chapter.

Chapter 7 Cody's Gift

Carey paced back and forth after her children were taken away. She thought about calling their father again. She thought about getting herself a cup of coffee. She thought about everything to keep her mind off the fact that both of her sons were in God's hands.

_'It's going to be okay,'_ she thought silently. She kept assuring the boys that it would be okay. She did it so often that she began to believe it herself. But now they weren't there for her to have to put a brave face. She sat down in one of the chairs, buried her face in her hands, and cried.

-----

Cody stared up at the bright lights on the bright white ceiling in the bright room.

_'How do they expect me to fall asleep in this room,' _he wondered to himself as the anesthesia dripped through his body, _'It's way too bright. I'm not tired at all.'_

A face appeared above Cody's head. Although the face was wearing a mask, Cody recognized it as the surgeon named Jack.

"Cody, can you count backwards from one hundred?" he asked.

"One hundred, ninety-nine, ninety-eight…"

Cody was sort of surprised to hear how weak his voice sounded.

_'Maybe I'll be able to get to sleep after all,' _he thought before continuing, "ninety-seven, ninety-six, ninety…"

His eyelids deftly closed and Cody descended into darkness.

Jack looked at the other surgeons, Dr. Deana Evans and Dr. Mathew Smith, and nodded. Cody was out. Soon Cody was fully under with a tube in his mouth and tape over his eyes. The surgical team got to work. It went very smoothly. Cody's kidneys were easy to locate. With precision and skills, they removed one without any trouble at all. Although it was an easy task for someone as experienced as Jack, they were still in a race against time, because they only gave him enough anesthesia to get him through the surgery. They had to be very careful to not do any damage to Cody's body.

"Good work," Jack said, as one of the doctors packaged the kidney to be transported to Zack's room, "Close him up, I'll go put this into the other kid."

Deana rolled her eyes as she tended to Cody. She glanced at Jack as she watched him go. Although she respected him for his talent in the medical field, his crass word choice sometimes bothered her.

Jack went to Zack's room. He was still being operated on. Jack grabbed some scrubs and changed out of the ones he was wearing. He washed his hands and put on a fresh pair of gloves.

"How's he doing?" Jack asked, motioning to Zack.

Connor Finnegan, the surgeon who was operating on Zack shook his head, "This kid's a fighter," he said, "He's really banged up, but the surgery itself went okay. We just got the kidney out."

Jack nodded, "Yeah, he's a fighter," he agreed, "That's what got him into this mess—he was in a fight."

"I'm surprised he wasn't killed," Connor said gravely, "he certainly sustained enough injuries to kill him."

Jack shrugged offhandedly and stood above the operating table, "He's not out of the woods yet."

One of the assistant surgeons stepped forward with the kidney to be transplanted. Jack looked at it, than looked at Zack, "Let's get to work."  
-----

Carey sipped her black coffee and stared out into space. It had been over two hours since Zack and Cody had been taken away. For the first hour, all she could do was cry. Once she got a hold of herself, she called the boys' father and left yet another message. She wished there was someone for her to talk to, but when she ran through the list of possible candidates, she realized she was on her own. She almost considered calling Maddie, who worked with her at the Tipton and babysat for the boys.

_'I can't put a burden on her,'_ she thought to herself, _'besides she wouldn't understand. She's only fifteen.'_

So she sat alone and waited.

"Miss Martin?"

Carey looked up. An orderly was standing before her, wearing an unreadable expression.

"Yes?" Carey asked, staying in her seat, _'Please let Zack and Cody be okay.'_

"Cody's out of surgery. He's in recovery right now. Do you want to see him?"

"Yes," Carey said, sagging with relief, "Is he okay?"

"He's doing great," she replied, "He won't wake up for awhile though."

Carey stood up and they made there way to the recovery room.

"Thank you," Carey said once they got there.

"You're welcome," the orderly replied, "Someone will let you know about Zack in a few hours."

Carey went and sat beside Cody's bed. She ran her fingers through his golden hair and smiled down at him. He looked so innocent as he slept.

She softly kissed his cheek, "I'm so proud of you," she said to the sleeping boy, "What you did for your brother—that was very brave."

She slipped her hand into his and watched him sleep.

----

_'Ninety-four, ninety-three, ninety-two...this is taking longer than I thought it would,' _Cody thought, _'Maybe the anesthesia doesn't work for me...'_

"Cody, sweetie?"

Cody blinked, _'mom?'_

"Cody, can you hear me?"

A picture was coming into focus. Cody was in a different—not so bright—room. He was not surrounded by doctors. He was alone with his mother.

"Yeah," he said weakly, turning to face her.

She smiled at him. Her blue eyes glittered with tears.

"Do you feel okay?" she asked him.

He nodded, "I'm tired."

She smoothed his hair, "I know you are."

His eyes widened as he began to remember exactly where he was, "How did the surgery go?"

"Perfectly," Carey replied with a grin, "They got the kidney out without any trouble. The doctors are transplanting it into Zack's body right now."

"He's not out of it yet?" he asked, feeling disappointed.

She shook her head, "No. But it won't be much longer now," she paused, "As long as nothing goes wrong."

He nodded, "good."

Carey kissed his forehead, "That was a great thing you did for Zack."

Cody shrugged and closed his eyes, "He would have done the same for me."

_'That's right,'_ Carey thought as she watched him. She held his hand and stayed with him as they waited for word on Zack.

-----

Jack watched as Connor stitched Zack back up. He wondered why Jake had been so hesitant on operating on Zack. The surgery went surprisingly well.

"He definitely has a strong will to live," he muttered.

Connor nodded in agreement, "He's going to need that."

Jack shrugged, "I don't know. It's been like a domino effect for him. Every time it seems like he's going to be okay, something else happens. It's like there's nothing left, you know?"

Connor chuckled lightly, "You should know better than to ever say that, Jack."

"Yeah," Jack said with a hint of a smile, "famous last words, right?"

"Murphy's law as the Irish call it."

"It's what the superstitious call it," Jack said as an orderly wheeled Zack away.

The two surgeons peeled their bloody gloves off and threw them away, and washed their hands.

"Are you going to be staying around for awhile?" Connor asked. He ran his newly clean hands through his bright red hair.

"Wasn't planning on it," he replied, "Why?"

They made their way out of the room, "I don't know. I have a feeling Jake's going to ask you to. He really seems to want the best around, in case anything else happens to Zack."

"That's the problem with Jake," Jack said, "He gets to attached to his patients."

------

"Is Zack out of surgery yet?" Cody asked immediately after he woke up for the second time. He knew the answer though. His mother would have woken him up if she had any news to share with him.  
"Not yet," she whispered. She was getting tired of waiting. It had already been three hours since Cody got out of surgery.

"When can we go home?"

Carey looked at him, surprised.

"I don't know," she replied honestly, "Soon, I hope. You'll probably be released by tomorrow. As for Zack… I don't know yet."

Cody nodded sadly. He knew that Zack might still have a few problems ahead of him.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Carey called.

An orderly, the same one who brought Carey to Cody, walked into the room. She had a wheelchair with her.

"Zack's in a recovery room," she told them, "His surgery went well. Do you want to visit him?"

"Yes," they said together. Carey helped Cody into the wheelchair, and the orderly led them to Zack's room.

"Jake will be here in a minute," the orderly said, "You can have some time alone until then."

"Thank you," Carey said.

Cody was already out of the wheelchair, walking to Zack's bed. The walk from the wheelchair to the chair by the bed took all of his energy. He collapsed into the chair and closed his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Carey asked as she sat down next to him.

"Yeah," he answered. His voice sounded hoarse. He opened his eyes and looked at his brother.

"I feel like this is all I ever do anymore," Cody said softly, "watch Zack sleep."

Carey touched Zack's cheek, "poor thing," she whispered.

Cody nodded. When he stopped, the room still seemed to be bobbing up and down. He barely noticed anything as he slumped forward and slid out of the chair, landing on the floor.

Reviews are much appreciated by both writers. Please do the right thing and review.


	8. Chapter 8 Reunited

Chapter 8 Reunited

Cody's collapse was just a simple case of exhaustion. He was still groggy from the anesthesia. Carey helped a nurse take Cody back to his room to sleep off the anesthesia. He would recover quickly if he just rested for a day or two. Zack's recovery would take a little longer. He had been in surgery a lot longer then Cody and Jake was still worried that the other organs would become infected like Zack's blood tests had shown. But the latest blood test showed only a tiny little infection near Zack's lower intestine. This was good news actually. That meant that the earlier diagnosis may have been a little premature. At the moment, Zack would only need surgery on his bowels. But for now he needed rest.

Jack stood in Zack's doorway, watching the boy sleep. Kid was a fighter. He was breathing on his own and his heart rate was good. Ellen came up behind Jack.

"He's a sweet kid," said Ellen.

"Hell of a fighter," said Jack.

"Breathing on his own after a kidney transplant. That's impressive," said Ellen. She walked into the room.

"What are you doing?" asked Jack.

"Taking care of my previous surgeries on him," said Ellen. "He's drugged up so he'll sleep right through it." She changed the bandage on Zack's nose, the nose had stopped bleeding, and put an antiseptic over the surgical wounds on Zack's lips.

"Tomorrow I'm doing a follow up operation on his nose. I'll probably work on his lips and nose again too," said Ellen. "When's his bowel surgery?"

"Soon. I should install a tiny hose into his stomach to suck out infected blood and puss," said Jack.

"Do that tomorrow while I'm working," said Ellen, rubbing Zack's head slightly as she walked back over to Jack.

"I guess," said Jack.

"Where are you going to put it?" asked Ellen.

"Right below the bellybutton. That would ensure good access to the fluid and stuff," said Jack.

"You'd be the right man for the job," said Ellen. Jack smiled.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Jack," said Ellen.

"Yeah. See you," said Jack. Ellen nodded and walked off. Jack yawned.

"Long ass day," he said, walking down the hall.

Jake rubbed his eyes. Zack wasn't out of the woods yet. He'd be in surgery at least two more times. Cody was done. He just needed to recover. Jake put his head down on his desk and fell asleep.

Moseby looked up from the front desk as Jack came through the front doors of the Tipton. Maddie and London walked over to Moseby.

"Is that him? Is that the doctor who operated on Zack and Cody?" asked Maddie.

"Yes. Please don't bother him. He's one of our guests for the convention," said Moseby.

"Moseby, Zack and Cody just underwent a kidney transplant. We're worried about them," said London, concern present in her voice.

"I am too. But maybe we should wait until morning to go asking him about the boys," said Moseby.

"What do you want to know?" asked Jack, who had heard the entire conversation. Maddie and London walked over to him.

"How are Zack and Cody?" asked Maddie quickly.

"Just fine. Cody's kidney is working perfectly in Zack," said Jack.

"Is Zack doing OK? I mean, considering he was nearly beaten to death," said Maddie.

"He's fine. I have no doubt he'll make a full recovery," said Jack. Maddie and London asked Jack a few more questions before Moseby shooed them away so Jack could go up to his room and get some sleep.

The next morning Cody woke up. He felt a lot better and wanted nothing more then to go see his brother. After spending several minutes with Carey, Cody was helped down to Zack's room. Carey got him settled in a chair and then went downstairs to call Zack and Cody's school. Cody watched Zack sleep for about four minutes until Zack's eyelids started to flutter. Cody's eyes lit up as Zack slowly opened his eyes.

"Hey, Zack," he said softly. He shifted slightly in his chair, "Do you feel okay?"

Zack nodded groggily, "I'm fine," he replied, "just tired. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," said Cody.

Zack closed his eyes, "Thanks for giving me your kidney."

Cody laughed, "It's all yours now, bro."

Zack looked at him, "I'm serious," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "thank you."

Cody pushed his brother's hair back, "Your welcome."

"Where's mom?"

"Downstairs," Cody told him, "She's on the phone with Principal Collins. Drew and the other guys were expelled."

Zack closed his eyes and groaned, "I'm dead."

Cody picked up his hand, "No you aren't. We both have a restraining order against all them. And all three of them are going to spend time in a detention center for this."

Zack sighed, tears welling up in his eyes, "I still can't believe how far they went."

"Well don't worry about it," Cody whispered soothingly, "It's almost over now."

"Cody?"

"Yeah?"

Zack looked at him, "I don't think I would have been able to get through this without you," he paused, smiling softly for a second, "Well I _know_ I wouldn't have, because I wouldn't have survived without your kidney... but..." he stopped, not knowing what to say.

Cody squeezed his hand, "I understand."

Zack shook his head, "I've been really scared this whole time I was here 'cause I didn't know what was going on. But you like made everything okay."

"You would have done the same for me."

"Yeah," Zack said, nodding, "I would have."

Cody sat on the edge of his bed and gave him a hug, "Everything's going to go back to normal now."

Zack slid his arms around his brother, "I love you, Cody."

"I love you too."

They pulled apart. Zack's eyelids drooped slightly.

"You should get some sleep," Cody said, yawning.

Zack smiled, "You too."

Zack lay down and closed his eyes, "You'll stay, right?"

Cody kissed his forehead, "right."

He returned to his chair by the bed. Then he leaned down so his face was on the pillow.

Both boys were sleeping, and did not hear the sound of the door opening.

Carey walked in and saw Zack and Cody resting. She smiled softly. She walked over to the bed and gave each boy a kiss on the cheek.

"Everything's going to be okay now," she whispered to herself.


	9. Chapter 9 Zack

Thank you all for reading from both Crimson Haze and myself. Crimson Haze wrote most of this chapter. That's why it's so amazing. Sequel coming soon. You'll see why soon enough. Please remember to review. Bye, for now.

Chapter 9 Zack

Zack sighed as he was helped onto the operating table. Jack and Ellen walked over to him.

"Ready?" asked Ellen.

"As always," said Zack.

"Last surgery. You've come a long way, Zack," said Jack. Zack laid down as an IV was put in his hand.

"Thank you both for everything," said Zack.

"You're very welcome," said Ellen.

"So today is just some maintenance work right?" asked Zack.

"Yep. I'll work on your ears, nose, and lips. Jack is going to stick a hose in your stomach and suck out all that bad fluid. Shouldn't take more then three hours," said Ellen.

"Are you cutting my stomach open completely?" asked Zack, starting to feel drowsy.

"Nope. I can access everything I need through your bellybutton. Very cool procedure. No effort on my part," said Jack. Zack nodded. His eyelids started to close.

"See you soon, Zack," said Ellen. Zack's closed his eyes and fell asleep. Zack was soon fully under and Jack and Ellen got to work. Ellen worked on Zack's ear while Jack cut out his navel and stuck a hose down it. He had to be careful not to damage anything. Soon Zack's stomach was draining. Ellen finished working on Zack's ear after an hour and got busy on his nose. Jack was almost done draining Zack's stomach. He finished right as Ellen finished on Zack's nose. Jack removed the hose and closed Zack's navel up. His part was done but he stayed as Ellen worked on Zack's lips. The boy didn't move as his lips were cut open and drained. Ellen finished and Zack's final surgery was over. It had taken exactly three hours. Zack woke up right away. He threw up a little from the anesthesia but was soon feeling better.

"I want my mom," said Zack, drooling running down his cheek.

"You'll see her soon, buddy," said Jack. Zack was taken to recovery.

Cody stared at the numbers on his math homework until they were nothing but little black squiggles on the page. As he and his mom waited for news on Zack, who being operated on for the last time, he had been making up all of the schoolwork he had missed while they were in the hospital. But now, after hours of nothing but homework to take his mind off Zack, Cody had nothing to do.

His mom sat beside him, "I don't know what I'd do without you," she said softly, "You have been so brave throughout this whole thing—you and Zack both."

Cody looked at her, "So have you."

Carey picked up Cody's hand, "I'm so proud of you, sweetie," she said as tears filled her eyes, "You were there for your brother one hundred percent. You have him your _kidney._ You've really grown up in the past few days."

He shrugged, looking at the ground, "I did what I had to do."

"You didn't _have_ to do it," she said, pride shining through in her voice, "You _chose_ to. That shows a lot of maturity."

Cody leaned against her shoulder, "After this I never want to set foot a hospital again."

She put an arm around him and kissed his forehead, "I hope you won't," she said wistfully.

Simultaneously they both closed their eyes. But as tired as they were, neither of them could sleep.

In the back of Cody's mind he prayed that nothing went wrong with Zack during the remainder of his surgeries. He had been through so much and came so far—it wouldn't be fair if something horrible happened now.

Carey was thinking similar thoughts as she held Cody close to her, thankful that at least one of her children was safe.

After sitting in silence for a few calm moments, Carey and Cody opened there eyes at the sound of squeaky feet approaching them.

They stood up and a nurse smiled at them, "You must be Zack Martin's family," she said, looking at Cody, "He did very well. He's in room 111 if you want to see him."

"Thank you," Carey said, relieved, "Thank you so much."

"His doctors will be here in a little while," she told them, as she led them to Zack's recovery room, "You can have some time alone with him."

"Thank you," Carey said again. The nurse left and the two of them went to Zack's bed.

"Hey," he mumbled drowsily.

Carey smiled down at him, "You're awake."

He nodded.

"How was it?" Cody asked.

"Great," Zack said, sleepiness resonating through the playful sarcasm in his voice, "Definitely something I'm going to have to do more often."

Cody ran his fingers through Zack's hair, "Sorry buddy," he said, "but no more surgeries for you."

Zack smiled, but then it vanished because his lips still stung from the surgery, "When can we go home?"

"Soon," Carey said, she kissed his cheek, "I talked to Jake earlier today. He said the hospital would probably release you the day after tomorrow if you've gotten enough rest by then."

Zack looked at his mom than at Cody as his eyelids drooped. He wanted to tell them he loved them. He wanted to tell them how much it meant to him that they were there for him while he was in the hospital. He wanted to say that he was sorry for making them put their lives on hold. But before he could say any of this, his eyes were closed and sleep was slowly tugging him in the other direction.

"That's right, baby," Carey said as she stroked his cheek, "sleep."

"But I have to tell you—," his voice sounded far away.

He felt Cody's hand in his.

"It's okay, Zack," he said gently, "we know."

Zack opened his tired eyes and looked at him. Cody nodded reassuringly and Zack nodded back. Cody got it. Zack knew that he understood.

He closed his eyes again, and drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

Carey squeezed Cody's shoulder and watched Zack sleep. They sat down next to his bed. Carey held Zack's hand.

Out of the corner of her eye she glanced at Cody. He was staring at his brother in a protective way, like a watchdog. Carey smirked and shook her head, _more like a guardian angel,_ she mused.

During the days that they had been spending in the hospital, watching over Zack, Carey noticed that Cody would get sort of restless after awhile. Watching somebody sleep can only keep a person amused for a little bit. After about a half hour, Cody would usually get bored. Sometimes he would read or try to do some school work, and sometimes he would pace back and forth in front of Zack's bed.

But Carey did not get bored. Life was so hectic with her job and taking care of two children that she rarely had to stop and look at her kids — reallylook at them. This thought had caught her mind a few times before Zack ended up in the hospital, usually during those seldom mornings when everything seems to be going according to plan. She and the boys would be sitting down for breakfast and one of them might catch her eye or mildly surprise her in some way. She would stare at him for a moment, wondering where the time went. Wondering how her son could have grown up so fast. But after a second or two, whichever one had provoked her to pause and look would catch her and ask what she was starring at.

_'It's like that _Ferris Bueller _quote,'_ Carey thought to herself, _'Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.'_

"Mom?" Cody asked, "What's wrong?"

Carey tore her eyes away from Zack and looked at her. There were tears streaming down her cheeks.

"It's nothing, Cody," she said, scooting her chair closer to him, "I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

"You and Zack," she answered with a wistful smile, "You've grown up so fast. I remember when you were babies neither of you would cry very often at night. But when you did after I got you quieted down and back to sleep I would stay and your bedroom and watch you guys sleep. You always looked so peaceful, like nothing bad could ever happen to you. But something bad did happen," she paused and looked at Zack again, "so now I'm back to watching you sleep."

Cody leaned against her again and gave her a hug. Carey wrapped her arms around him and kissed the top of his head, "I love you so much."

"Love you too."

They broke apart at the sound of a knock on the door.

"Come in," Carey called.

Jack, Jake, and Ellen walked in together. Ellen was carrying flowers.

"He's been through a lot," Ellen said, nodding at Zack, "but he made it."

Tears filled Carey's eyes. She stood up, "Thank you all so much," she said in a whispery voice. She was getting more choked up with each word.

Ellen smiled warmly, "It's our job," she said, "And you all have been great to work with." She handed Carey the flowers, "Make sure he gets them?"

Carey nodded, "Of course."

Ellen had to run some tests on another patient, so she said goodbye to the Martins and walked out the door.

"I have to go too," Jake said, "I just wanted to see how you were doing and to say goodbye."

"He's doing great," Carey said, beaming, "He was awake for a little while. He'll want to thank you himself though."

Jake nodded, "I'll stop by tomorrow when he's awake," he promised. He turned to Cody, "Take care of yourself."

Cody nodded, "Thanks," he said, "for everything."

Jake left.

They were left alone with Jack Cole, world renowned surgeon. He was famous for his skills and infamous for his faults, such as his habit of getting 'too involved.'

"You know," Jack said suddenly, as if reading their minds, "I've been criticized for getting to close to my patients. As doctors we are supposed to have what they call 'detached professionalism.' But getting _a little_ emotionally involved definitely makes this part more rewarding."

Carey smiled at him, "All three of you have been wonderful," she said, "I can't thank you enough."

Cody glanced at his stomach. He was wearing a blue and red t-shirt that covered a bandage that, in turn, covered a scar carved by Jack. And because of Jack, his brother was still alive. He looked up at him, "Yeah. Thanks for what you did for Zack. And for me."

"Just doing my job," Jack said with a grin. His brash personality was taking a backseat to his calm and slightly proud demeanor.

"I should be going," he said.

"Wait."

Everybody looked at Zack, who had just woken up. Jack went to the side of his bed.

"Thanks for saving my life," Zack said, unable to keep the tiredness out of his voice.

"No problem," Jack said, resting his hand on his shoulder, "Be safe once you get out of the hospital, and hopefully we'll never have to see each other again."

Zack laughed softly.

Jack turned to Carey and Cody, "I really do have to go," he said, "But if I ever do see you guys again, it'll have to be under better circumstances."

"Right," Carey said, laughing, "It was great meeting you."

Jack walked to the door, "You too," he said, "all of you."

Carey and Cody returned to their seats by Zack's bed. Zack was already nodding off.

"I'll be right back," Carey said after a few minutes.

She left and Zack and Cody were alone. Zack was sound asleep, and Cody was getting tired himself.

Cody stroked Zack's hair, "I told you everything would be okay," he said to his sleeping brother.

He smiled to himself. He was happy that they had gotten through everything, and emerged stronger.

Cody was smiling as he loaded the cards, candy, stuffed animals, and flowers into his mother's suitcase. Zack was being discharged from the hospital and they were finally going home.

"I don't think those are going to survive in there," Zack said from his hospital bed.

Cody looked at the flowers he was stuffing into the suitcase and he laughed, "Wow. I didn't even think of that."

Zack laughed too, "Dude, you lost a liver, not a brain."

"Kidney, genius," Cody said, "I lost a kidney—big difference there."

Now they were both laughing, with tears running down their cheeks. They were both really looking forward to going home, and the excitement made them sort of slaphappy.

Carey walked into Zack's hospital room. She had just finished signing the release forms and she was as ready to go as the boys.

"Are you finished packing?" she asked Cody.

"Yeah," he replied, picking up the suitcase, "Can we go?"

"In just a minute," Carey replied, sitting down on the edge of Zack's bed, "We need to wait for an orderly to bring up a wheelchair."

Zack swung his legs over the edge of the bed so he was sitting up. For the first time in days he was not wearing a hospital gown. He was wearing an old pair of jeans and his favorite orange hoodie. Carey ran to the Tipton the night before to pick up some clothes.

"Are you going to miss the hospital?" Carey asked him in a teasing voice.

"No way," Zack answered smiling, "I will miss the people who work here though."

Cody nodded in agreement. Both Jake and Ellen had stopped by again that morning to say goodbye for the last time. Zack and Cody had hoped that Jack would be there, but he never came.

"He probably went back home," Cody had said.

They knew that Jack Cole was a very busy man.

"When we get home I'm going straight to the front desk," Cody said, "I never thought I would say this, but I actually miss Mosby."

"I'm going to the game room," Zack said, "And to the pool and to the Candy Counter to visit Maddie and the…"

"Hold on," Carey said, interrupting him, "When we get home you're going straight to your room. You didn't spend all this time recovering just so you can go and wear yourself out again. There'll be plenty of time to have fun later."

"Come on, Mom," Zack wheedled, "What's the point of leaving the hospital if I'm just going to lie around in bed all the time? That's what I've been doing here."Carey kissed his forehead, "How does lying around in bed with the TV in your room and a bowl of ice cream sound?" she asked.

"Like the hospital," Zack and Cody answered together.

Carey laughed, "Just a few days, Zack, and then everything will be back to normal."

There was a knock on the door.

"That'll be the orderly with the wheelchair," Carey said, "Come in!"

The door swung open and a wheelchair was rolled in… by Jack.

Zack's face lit up, "I thought you left."

Jack grinned, "I couldn't let my star patient leave without saying goodbye," he said.

"Star patient?" Zack repeated.

"You bet," Jack replied, handing him a newspaper, "So what if it's just a one hundred word blurb on the eighth page? It's still a small taste of fame if you ask me."

Zack looked at the newspaper and sure enough there was a tiny story about him. The headline was "Thirteen Year Old Recovers Nicely"

"Wow," he said, "That's… interesting."

"It's a good thing the hospital reports are confidential," Jack said as Cody helped Zack into the wheelchair, "I don't think the reporters would be able to stay away from your story if they knew the whole thing."

"Seriously?" Zack asked.

"Seriously," said Jack, "Think about it, you were nearly beaten to death but managed to survive with the help of your twin brother's kidney. That's what I call a human interest story."

Carey and Cody followed Jack out the door as he pushed the wheelchair.

"It may be interesting to some people," Carey said as they walked out of the hospital, "But I'm just glad the story's over."

The group walked out of the hospital with their spirits high. After a long struggle of pain and suffering, everything was going to be fine.

Cody smiled to himself as they crossed the hospital parking lot. Zack climbed out of the wheelchair. The sun was shining brightly. The birds were chirping and the scent of the flowers carried throughout the entire area. Everything was perfect.

_BANG!_

Cody jumped. He whirled around just in time to see Zack crumble to the ground.

"Oh my God!" Carey exclaimed, dropping to her knees, beside him.

"Zack," Cody whispered, shaking. Then suddenly panic seized him, "ZACK!"

He looked down. Zack was laying on his back. His eyes were open, but had a glassy look to them. Blood soaked through his orange shirt. He wasn't moving.

_'He's not moving!'_

"Cody, go back to the hospital!" Jack exclaimed, "Tell them someone was shot in the parking lot. The gunman ran off, but they need to get out here _now._"

"Zack," he whimpered.

Jack grabbed him by the shoulders, "Tell them he was shot in the chest," he ordered, "Now, Cody, there's still time."

Cody nodded and broke into a run.

Jack knelt down and snapped into action. Since Carey parked by the emergency room, he knew that the medics would be out there within seconds. But time was of the essence and he had to help the kid immediately. He pulled his jacket off and pressed it against Zack's chest.

"Zack?" he asked, "Can you hear me?"

Zack was staring straight a head. His eyes were open, but he looked dead.

_'Not now,'_ Jack prayed silently as he felt for a pulse, _'Not like this.'_

He found a pulse on his neck.

A swarm of paramedics surrounded them and loaded Zack onto a stretcher and hurried him into the hospital—to the same place where he had been so excited to leave.

Tears streamed down Cody's face as he watched his brother disappear into the hospital. Jack followed them, yelling out orders. Carey remained on the ground, sobbing over the place where Zack had lain. Cody sat Indian style beside her and cried. Carey wrapped her arms around him and rocked him back in forth.

The story was not over just yet.

To be continued…


End file.
